Nuclear medicine

A nuclear medicine scanner is a large doughnut-shaped machine with a table that slides through the middle that the patients will lie on for their pictures.

In this specialized exam, the patient will first be given a small amount of radiopharmaceutical (medicine that contains a small amount of radioactive material). This medicine is given to the patient through a tiny tube (an IV) to help target and illuminate specific organs, bones or other tissues in order to see how they are functioning.

If your doctor has recommended or scheduled your child for an exam, we have provided the following information to help you better prepare your child. These documents are available for download and are printable. They also offer contact information for any questions you may have about your child's procedure.

What to expect

Nuclear medicine procedures can vary in length from 30 minutes to a few hours. Part of this time is waiting for the radiopharmaceutical to be absorbed by the body. While the scanner is capturing images a TV/DVD is available for children to watch.